Sirsa demands AAP apology, rejects rice distribution irregularity allegations

New Delhi: Delhi Food and Supplies Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Sunday demanded an apology from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), refuting the allegations of irregularities in rice distribution levelled by the principal opposition party

New Delhi: Delhi Food and Supplies Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Sunday demanded an apology from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), refuting the allegations of irregularities in rice distribution levelled by the principal opposition party.

Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa (HT)

“Such a malicious campaign appears to be their modus operandi. I give both (AAP Delhi chief) Saurabh Bharadwaj and (AAP leader) Sanjeev Jha 24 hours to withdraw these false allegations and issue a public apology, failing which I will be constrained to initiate appropriate legal proceedings against both of them and hold them accountable for these malicious acts,” he posted on X.

Addressing a press conference, Bharadwaj alleged that an Assam-based corporation had approached Sirsa in January, offering to distribute subsidised rice among people, including migrant workers and those without ration cards.

According to Bharadwaj, Sirsa allegedly forwarded the proposal to a special commissioner on April 8, asking that it be considered as per rules. “One of the officials in the department allegedly emailed the Food Corporation of India (FCI) the same day, requesting that around 31,000 metric tonnes of rice be supplied every week to the Assam corporation,” he alleged.

Bharadwaj claimed that the rice, which was available at around ₹23.20 per kg, was instead being sold in the open market to a private company in Haryana at nearly ₹46 per kg.

The AAP leader alleged that the matter came to light following a complaint to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), after which the Delhi government suspended the official who had emailed the FCI.

He demanded that Chief Minister Rekha Gupta seek Sirsa’s resignation if the minister was not involved in the alleged irregularities.

AAP leaders Sanjeev Jha and Kuldeep Kumar also demanded a probe by central agencies, alleging that merely suspending an official was insufficient.

Hitting back, Sirsa said Bharadwaj and Jha had “made baseless, false, fabricated and malicious allegations against me, clearly intended to defame and malign me”.